Monday Music Review pt. 2 - Snow Patrol

Artist - Snow Patrol
Album - A Hundred Million Suns
Sounds Like - Keane, Coldplay, Jars of Clay



Snow Patrol's last album proved they could create and produce pop-rock at its best. Releasing their fifth album after the massive Eyes Open, the band hired Jacknife Lee once again to propel them to greater success. Can Lee produce another gem, and does Snow Patrol have the know-how to keep up with the likes of the other heavy hitters in their genre?

The first single, "Take Back The City", is a pleasant acoustic number that is faster than most Snow Patrol tracks. It's also very catchy, with an almost double (or even triple) chorus. "Crack The Shutters" is classic Patrol, and sounds a bit like "Hands Open". "Disaster Button" is reminiscent of their last album as well, and the moving lyrics and melody propel this as one of the better tracks here. The opener "If There's a Rocket Tie Me To It" is probably the best track on Suns (single anyone?), showcasing lead singer Gary Lightbody's musical prowess and creativity with music.

"Lifeboats", "The Planets Bend Between Us", and "Set Down Your Glass" slow the overall album down a bit, and the final track, "The Lightning Strike", clocks in at a whopping 16 minutes, making it about 14 minutes to long. I mean, am I listening to Pink Floyd or Snow Patrol here? And trust me, Snow Patrol is no Pink Floyd. It's little too experimental.

The album has its highs and lows, and there are a number of good tracks, but the band hasn't progressed as it should. While other bands like Coldplay jump lightyears past their previous efforts, Snow Patrol seems to be mired in their pop past.

DJ MODE REVIEW

Snow Patrol - A Hundred Million Suns -

Three Songs to download - "If There's A Rocket Tie Me To It", "Take Back the City", "Disaster Button"

Monday Music Review - Oasis

Artist - Oasis
Album - Dig Out Your Soul
Sounds Like - The Killers, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones



There has been a resurgence in brit-rock lately, and one of the big 90's contributors are back to prove they can hang with the young bands. Releasing their seventh studio album, Noel Gallagher's Oasis is in the 12th round of a prize bout and are on the ropes. Can they stage a brilliant comeback?

Y2K hasn't been good to this band. Squandering away massive talent, this band when from self-prophecized "greatest band in the history of rock" to rock afterthought. Albums like Standing on the Shoulder of Giants and Heathen Chemistry were lyrically pleasant but didn't attract the attention of their non-fan base. With the release of their last album, the band has once again stepped up to reclaim their title.

There is some really good rock and roll here. From "The Turning" to "Bag It Up" to "Waiting for the Rapture", the band is not messing around. The latter song is a tremendous, burly rock effort that is very Beatlesesque. I'm sure they're tired of being compared to The Beatles, but when they bring that traditional British rock sound to the forefront, they excel. The first single, "The Shock of the Lightning" is proof enough that Oasis is alive and well. Noel's brother Liam croons well on this track, and he hasn't sounded so good since (What's the Story) Morning Glory? It is a fabulous track, and the four aforementioned songs are reason enough to listen to this whole album.

But there's more. The slower "I'm Outta Time" is really beautiful, and the bluesy "The Nature of Reality" does a fine job of mixing up musical styles in a compelling way. "Falling Down" is another suburb track, and the Gallagher brothers really complement each other here. Packing a lot of greatness into 45 minutes isn't easy, but Oasis proves it has the know-how to do it again.

Oasis may have stumbled getting here, but Soul marks a great comeback. Maybe they've learned some lessons that history has brought them and can continue to make great rock and roll. Their finisher, "Soldier On", may state it best: "Come the day, Come the night, I'll be gone, Soldier on. "

DJ MODE REVIEW

Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul -

Three Songs to Download - "Bag It Up", "Waiting for the Rapture", "The Shock of the Lightning"

Photo & trailer - Watchmen

The new Watchmen trailer hit the net today, and oh my lord am I wetting my pants in anticipation of this film. Call me an uber-nerd, but the graphic novel (err...comic) was terrific, and director Zack Snyder (of 300 fame) shows in this trailer alone that he's not going to let the fanboys down. Bring it on!

Watch the new trailer here.

Reviews on the rise

After taking a small hiatus (we had to take a breather after that election), Semicircle will be reviewing a gaggle of new albums next week. Starting this Sunday, look for a review a day for the next week, including new albums from Kaiser Chiefs, Snow Patrol, The Cure, Oasis, and The Chemical Brothers. Get ready to rumble!

Photo of the Week, Photo of the Year

Change has come to America and the world...

Scariest movies of all time

Compiled by a round the clock team of scientists, movie watchers, and degenerates here at Semicircle, we now showcase to you our top 13 scariest movies of all time. NOTE: This doesn't necessarily mean they're the best horror movies of all time. We're comparing scare for scare here. Here we go...

13. Mothman Prophecies - Little known fact - this is a scary movie! I was blown away by the story telling and suspense of this one, but it's the abrupt scary parts that will get you.

12. Psycho - Hitchcock's suspenseful horror is one of the best of its kind. Anthony Perkins is creepy, and .

11. Hellraiser - Freakish and scary. And gory. And sexy. Well, maybe not sexy.

10. Nightmare on Elm Street - Wes Craven is no stranger to horror, and this movie may be the most creative horror movie ever. It is also freakin' scary, and Robert Englund's demonized Freddy is terrific.

9. The Evil Dead - This is one of the classics of the genre, and although all of the Evil Dead movies are great, this one is the scariest

8. Texas Chainsaw Massacre - One word says it all - Leatherface.

7. Halloween - Of all the 'stalker/killer' flicks, this one is the best. Michael Myers is terror at its core. The soundtrack alone must be played with the lights on.

6. Exorcist 3 - While it isn't as scary as the original, it hangs with the best of the genre. If you've never seen this movie, watch it. It will freak you out (plus, George C. Scott is terrific).

5. The Shining - Stephen King + Stanley Kubrick + Jack Nicholson = frightening gold.

4. The Descent - Mix caves (which are scary enough) with underground dwellers, and you have a scary movie. The ending is terrific, and the story is great , but dark, damp, killer caves put it this far up the list.

3. Dawn of the Dead - Scarier than 'Night of'. George Romero knew what it took to create a great zombie flick (or two).

2. The Ring - A mystery and horror rolled up into one, I still get creeped out when I watch this one. Don't watch alone!

1. Exorcist 1 - The best of the best. God vs. Devil horror movies are the scariest, and when the devil possesses a harmless little girl, transforming her into pure evil, you make doodie in your pants. Evil, disturbing, shocking.

Artist - Ben Folds
Album - Way To Normal
Sounds Like - Ben Folds Five



Ben Folds is hilarious and angry. Always the wordsmith, Folds new album recounts the last few years of his life. It's that simple, but yet that Seinfeld-esque attitude towards the setlist is real, honest, and comical.

"Hiroshima (B B Benny Hit His Head)" describes Folds encounter with a stage in Japan, which he fell and hit his head. Used as the album opener, crowds cheer in the background as Folds sings "I waved down low to the crowd / as I busted ass on the front of the stage". It's a tell-all tale of a performer on the road.

Most songs are angst driven. (Granted, Folds had a tough year, including a divorce and remarriage.) "You Don't Know Me" (featuring Regina Spektor) may be the catchiest (and best) song on the album. The duet is an anti-relationship song, proclaiming that after years and years the "other one" doesn't "know me at all". "The Frown Song" portrays the life of a person walking around angry, attacking groups including waitresses, baristas, and bathroom attendants. On "The Bitch Went Nuts", Folds puts it all out there, describing the answer to "why has the relationship failed". And, in "Effington", he complaints on small town life. He says it "could be a wonderful effing place". It also has, quite possibly, the funniest line on the album: "If there's a God, he's laughing at us and our football team".

Piano is used heavily, as it would on a Ben Folds album, but Ben also adds some interesting effects. In "Free Coffee", an unusual static beat rustles in the background. The effect gives the song irritability, which matches the lyrics. On "Dr. Yang", distortion reigns throughout, and on "The Frown Song", synthesizers dominate.

This is not his best album. His last album, "Songs for Silverman" was more passionate and musically stronger. But don't let that lead you astray. Way To Normal is a good album, full of fun, wit, and controversy.

DJ MODE REVIEW

Ben Folds - Way To Normal -

Photo of the Week

It's October, and the first in 15 that I cared about baseball...

Polls Are Bulls#!t

The news report reports Obama is up by 10 points, and then the next day he's up by 2. Today's headline: polls are predicting a landslide of double digits. The reality is that polls are idiotic, and in reality have zero meaning when you look at how our country elects a President. Most people understand that popular vote does not determine the election, but aren't most of these polls showing who's leading who in the popular vote? It's absurd. And in case you didn't know, let me fill you in on a little secret...

You don't elect a President.

That's right, the notion that you go to the polls, vote, and elect a President are false. FALSE! You, American citizen, are not really voting for your presidential candidate, you are actually casting their vote for that candidate's electors. Plainly put, you vote for someone that votes for President for you. In true SemiCircle educational form, we present to you a primer on America's election system:

U.S. presidential elections are effectively an amalgamation of 51 separate and simultaneous elections (50 states plus the District of Columbia), rather than a single national election. This is called an indirect election.

Rather than directly voting for the President and Vice President, U.S. citizens cast votes for electors. Each state has a number of electors equal to the number of its Senators and Representatives in the United States Congress. Most states allow voters to choose between statewide slates of electors pledged to vote for the presidential and vice presidential tickets of various parties. In 48 states (and the District of Columbia), the party that that wins the most votes in the state wins the support of all of that state’s electors. (winner-take-all rule).

Each elector casts one vote for President and one vote for Vice President on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December, which is December 15th this year. In order to be elected, a candidate must have a majority (at least 270) of the electoral votes cast for that office. Candidates can fail to get the most votes in the nationwide popular vote in a presidential election and still win that election. This occurred in 1876, 1888 and 2000.

In the case of 2000, Bush won the Florida vote by a margin of 537 votes out of six million cast. Bush received Florida's 27 electoral votes, bringing his total to 271 to Gore's 266. However, he lost the popular vote by 543,895 votes.

There you have it. Now you are edumacated.

Monday Music Review - Keane

Artist - Keane
Album - Perfect Symmetry
Sounds Like - Coldplay, Franz Ferdinand, Simple Minds



There are a lot of new sounds on the new Keane album, but the grand scheme of Perfect Symmetry resonates 80's pop. And as other bands try desperately to bring back the best from that era, Keane seems to have perfected it.

From the first lick of "Spiralling", you get a sense that the band is moving in a new direction. Gone is the subtle, brooding intro's of yesterday (like "Atlantic" on Under the Iron Sea and "Somewhere Only We Know" from Hopes and Fears). "Spiralling" is a tremendous track, and definitely worth a download (think Duran Duran when they are on top). "Lovers Are Losing" has a fabulous chorus, showcasing Tom Chaplin's wonderful voice. There's even a brief spot in it that sounds a bit like The Alarm's classic "Unsafe Building". In the Cure-esque "Better Than This", the band strips much of the standard piano background for staccato guitar plucks and hand claps. The intro and post-chorus has a swirly keyboard effect reminiscent of Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me.

"You Haven't Told Me Anything" plunks at an 80's keyboard while Chaplin sings the powerful chorus. This is truly an instant classic, and may be the best song on the album (in other words, download it!). Bleeps and blips accompany the direct nature of this tune to produce a complex weave of melody and effects. "Again & Again" romps a huge 80's synthesizer in the intro, and then transitions to the band's standard piano sound.

There are some not-so-earth-shattering tracks as well. Ballad "You Don't See Me" seems like a step back for the band, and the title track is ordinary. But the ordinary is few and far between, as complex tracks like the ballad "Playing Along" (James anyone?) reign throughout.

Overall, a definite listener. It might not be perfect, but it is an ear pleasing record.

DJ MODE REVIEW

Keane - Perfect Symmetry -

Joe Mama - Photo of the Week

Joseph Wurzelbacher got his 15 minutes of fame from John McCain in the last debate, as McCain called him "Joe The Plumber", and asked what Obama would do for Joe. Too bad McCain didn't do a little research, because Joe is now a liability.

McCain and the world has found out that the plumber has a not-so-tidy personal story:

- He owes back taxes.
- He is not a licensed plumber.
- And it turns out that Wurzelbacher makes less than $250,000 a year, which means he would receive a tax cut if Obama were elected president.

Talk about shooting yourself in the foot. McCain seems to have a very "on the fly" decision making process. First, he made a decision to make Palin his VP without ever meeting her. Now he makes a shoot from the hip comment on this Joe guy vetting him first. I think this truly shows McCain's leadership style. He may be a bigger cowboy than Bush, which makes him dangerous. Making decisions without fully looking at the issues or looking at all possible solutions is a perilous thing as President, and I fear actions like this could lead us into new wars with countries we don't want to be in war with.

To top it off, Joe's a Buckeye fan, and we all know you can't trust a Buckeye fan.

Photo of the Week - DOW

The image says it all...



The Dow Jones Industrial Average is plummeting faster than Lindsey Lohan's career. Down again today, as of this post the DJIA recorded in at 8,088.71. It wasn't this low after 9/11, and the record breaking falls are destroying confidence in the US and all global markets. We are looking at a long, long road ahead people. Buy plenty of canned goods and shotgun ammo.

Thank you George Bush. You destroyed America's credibility overseas, you sat and watched Katrina, and now you've completely bankrupted our country. You should be put in jail.

Don't Drink and Email

Is there anything Google hasn't thought of? The true Masters of the Universe have really outdone themselves this time, coming up with a clever way to stop you from sending emails while you are not level-headed. Email Regret Syndrome is finally cured!

New to Google Labs: Mail Goggles, a system that will ask you a series of math problems to ensure you really want to send that late-night, drunken email to your ex-girlfriend or boss. Activated for weekend after hours as default, MG is yet another reason to use GMail.

Read all about it here.

The VEEP and you

The two party system killed the role of the Vice President.

Under the original terms of the Constitution, the members of the Electoral College voted only for office of president and each elector was allowed to vote for two people for the top office. The person receiving the greatest number of votes (provided that such a number was a majority of electors) would be president, while the individual who received the next largest number of votes became vice president.

That meant that opposing parties ruled the White House hand in hand, and there was a balance in that role of government. Adams and Jefferson, fierce rivals, had to work together in order to make the country better. And the Vice Presidency carried prestige, as you were not only the major challenger for the Presidency but typically the next in line for the office.

The original plan, however, did not foresee the development of two political parties and their adversarial role in the government. And after the elections of 1796 and 1800 (of which, were highly controversial), the government decided to change they system. The adoption of the Twelfth Amendment in 1804 directed the electors to use separate ballots to vote for the president and vice president. While this solved the problems at hand, it ultimately had the effect of lowering the prestige of the vice presidency, as the office was no longer for the leading challenger for the presidency.

And now you know.

Palin Rant

Seriously, enough is enough. Sarah Palin is not qualified to run the United States. Period. First and foremost, the Vice President is the first person in the presidential line of succession, becoming the new President of the United States upon the death, resignation, or removal of the president. She is no where near ready to handle that awesome responsibility.

Why?

She has ZERO experience. Yes, she's been a mayor (whoopee), and a governor for a little over a year. But after listening to her talk, you can plainly tell that she has no idea what she is talking about. Her words sounded great at the debate, but not once did she define 'what' she or McCain would do if elected to office. Because she doesn't know.

She enrolled and quit college FIVE times. Added to that, she received a degree in communications-journalism. COMMUNICATIONS! It's the reason she sounds half coherent on the television. The truth of the matter is she can drop a sound bite fine, but cannot come up with one rational idea on her own. When she's asked a question she doesn't know the answer to, she simply skirts around it, explaining that it's not a topic Americans are interested in. Simply put, she has NO QUALIFICATIONS FOR PRESIDENCY.

She tries very hard to define herself as a maverick, but in no way, shape, or form is she one. She is an ultra social conservative. She believes in the traditional, nuclear family model as society's foundational unit. She is anti-abortion, pro-capital punishment, and anti-gay rights. You can't get any further from maverick with those beliefs. Simply put, she is NOT A MAVERICK.

She jabs Obama-Biden for their proposed budget and spending, but she signed a whopping $6.6 billion operating budget into law for Alaska in 2007, a record for the state. She has reduced pork-barrell project requests in Alaska, but the state is still the largest per-capita recipient of federal earmarks, requesting nearly $750 million in special federal spending over two years. Palin even ran for governor with a "build-the-bridge" plank in her platform, which we have all now known to refer to as "the bridge to nowhere". She strongly supported the Gravina and Knik Arm bridges, and in 2007 decided not to return the $442 million in federal transportation funds earmarked for these projects. Simply put, she likes to SPEND TAXPAYER'S MONEY.

She's an attractive woman, I'll give her that, and probably the best looking person to run for office since Kennedy. But that doesn't make a good VP. I'm going to put it out there for ya: if Sarah Palin was a MAN, John McCain would have been laughed right out of this presidential election. Period. Sarah Palin continues to get free passes because she is a woman. But if you dig hard, really hard into the person and candidate that is Sarah Palin you will find there is very little substance. And that is truly scary.

Sure, McCain was going for the woman vote, but he had to understand that after the hoopla died down, people would be able to really see who Palin was as a candidate. If he didn't, then I'm really scared about his decision-making abilities. Simply picking a woman won't win this election, and I think that taxpaying Americans have seen through this charade.

The life expectancy of a United States male is 73.6 years. John McCain is 72. Are you willing to risk the next four to eight years of policy making in this country to a completely unqualified person? Unfortunately for us, we've been relying on an unqualified person to run our government for the past eight years as it is. And look where that's got us.